South Portland High School has been recognized by the Siemens Foundation and the College Board and awarded the Siemens Award for Advanced Placement in Maine.

The high school was selected from among all Maine high schools because of its commitment to providing students opportunities to explore the college-level Advanced Placement program and the staff’s dedication to student success.

It was the only high school in Maine to be recognized. A $1,000 grant to support science and math education was presented to the school.

South Portland offers Advanced Placement math and science courses in calculus, statistics, biology, chemistry and physics. Other Advanced Placement courses offered are English literature, English language and composition, art, music theory, U.S. history and world history.

Since expanding the number of AP courses offered and making AP courses available to all interested students, South Portland High School has seen the number of students accepting the challenge of the rigorous curriculum increase dramatically. In 2002, 57 students took an AP course with 80 tests administered. This year, 126 students took one or more AP courses and sat for 217 AP exams.

On June 9, Siemens Foundation representative Michael Lenehan presented school principal Jeanne Crocker with a framed certificate. The school has also received letters of congratulations from U.S. Rep.Tom Allen, Gov. John Baldacci, Siemens president James Whaley, and NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy.

The Siemens Foundation was created to expand and strengthen the pool of math, science and technology talent that will be needed for the continued growth of business and industry in the U.S. and globally.